Priest arrested for assaulting youth, SNAP responds

Our hearts go out to this young victim, and we are outraged at the alleged actions of Rev. Warnakulasuriya. The emotional trauma caused by incidents like this often lead to a years-long recovery process.

We are relieved that Warnakulasuriya was reported to police so promptly. In many cases, victims are scared or ashamed of speaking up, or the diocese attempts to resolve the situation itself – which often ends poorly. By speaking up, the young man ensured that Warnakulasuriya cannot hurt him – or anyone else – more. Silence is a predator’s best friend.

If anyone else has information or suspicions about Warnakulasuriya molesting other youths, we urge him/her to contact police immediately.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 23 years and have more than 10,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)